IOC sticks to its stand on IOA suspension

New Delhi - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Wednesday reaffirmed that it will propose Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) suspension for not holding its Dec 5 election in compliance with the Olympic Charter.

The IOC has also decided against sending its team to India for sorting out the matter involving the IOA and the union sports ministry.

The IOC, which had warned IOA of suspension in a letter last week, reiterated its position in its latest letter to the IOA.

“We wish to remind you of the terms of the IOC letter of 23 November. It was indeed clearly mentioned that a proposal for suspension of the IOA would be submitted to the next IOC Executive Board meeting on 4?5 December, 2012, if the situation is not rectified with immediate effect and the IOC is given clear and written guarantees to ensure that the IOA’s elections can be held strictly on the basis of the Olympic Charter and the IOA’s constitution,” the IOC said.

“Your letter does not, unfortunately, provide us with these guarantees but invites for an IOC delegation to come to India while you continue to move ahead with an ‘election process’,” wrote IOC director general Christophe de Kepper in his letter to IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

The letter said: “The IOC invited the IOA and the Government representatives to a meeting in Lausanne in June 2010 and, since then, has been continuously available to work constructively in order to find an acceptable solution.”

“These efforts have, however, been unsuccessful due to the regrettable lack of cooperation from the IOA and the Government authorities, which has led to the current situation. Consequently, the IOC will not send delegates to India at this stage.”

IOA has time till Nov 30 to sort out whether it would follow the IOC guidelines in its election or the government endorsed Sports Code of India.

“The IOA is invited to provide all necessary explanations and to present its position in writing to the IOC,” the letter added.

The election was supposed to be held Nov 25 but was delayed following the resignation of its election panel chief S.Y. Quraishi, who claimed mismanagement within the IOA.